You need to harvest, cure and then plant at the correct planting time for your area. But CURE is the biggie, I believe.

And you can plant and grow any darn way you want to, but if you want stellar results then you need to do what is best for the variety you grow and your zone.

You didn't list your zone but I am guessing you are 1 - 2 zones warmer than me ( Zone 7 or 8 ? ). I can't tell you the best time to plant for your local conditions but I would suggest you call your local county extension office and they should be able to give you the date range.

Having said that, you generally plant garlic in late summer or in the fall ( for my area we plant from Mid October ~ mid November ) which is usually 3 ~ 4 months after you harvest. After harvesting, cure the garlic in a warm dry place with good air circulation ( especially if it's humid in your area at the time ) The curing helps ensure you won't get mold or rot on the bulbs. After curing you can store the garlic by hanging it in a cool, dry location until time to plant. You will want to leave the bulbs in tact until you are ready to plant. Seperate into cloves right before planting.

HTH

"Growing Great Garlic" is an excellent reference and where I first learned about growing.

Nam